North Korea's Naegohyang Women's Football Club made history by winning the AFC Women's Champions League, becoming the first club from the nation to claim Asia's top women's club title. The team defeated Japan's Tokyo Verdy Beleza 1-0 in the final in Seoul. Following their victory, the players were celebrated by their leader, Kim Jong Un, in an emotional on-pitch reunion. The win also qualifies the team for the FIFA Women's Champions Cup and the inaugural Women's Club World Cup.
In a remarkable and emotionally charged scene, members of the North Korea n Naegohyang Women's Football Club celebrated their historic victory in the AFC Women's Champions League with an unexpected and jubilant appearance by their leader, Kim Jong Un .
The North Korean leader personally joined the team on the pitch, walking among them and offering his congratulations, a moment captured on camera and widely shared. The players, visibly overwhelmed with emotion, jumped, cheered, and wiped away tears as they greeted Kim Jong Un, highlighting the profound significance of the achievement.
This win marks the first time a North Korean club has claimed the title of Asia's premier women's football tournament, a feat that has resonated both on the field and in the broader context of inter-Korean relations. The team secured their victory in the final held in Seoul, defeating Tokyo Verdy Beleza of Japan with a solitary goal from forward Kim Kyong-Yong.
Beyond the sporting triumph, the tournament presented Naegohyang with a $1 million prize and qualification for upcoming global competitions, including next year's FIFA Women's Champions Cup and the inaugural Women's Club World Cup in 2028. The captain, Kim, was named the Most Valuable Player of the tournament. She humbly attributed the success to the collective effort of the entire team and coaching staff, stating, "I'm very honoured to win the MVP.
However, this result does not belong to me alone. It belongs to the team and the coaching staff. We just kept pushing ourselves until the end.
" The team's journey through the AFC Women's Champions League was groundbreaking on multiple fronts. Not only did they become the first North Korean club to win the continental title, but their participation also made them the first women's club team from North Korea to compete at this level. Their path to the final and the celebration in Seoul carried substantial political weight as well.
The team's visit to South Korea marked the first time North Korean athletes had set foot in the South in eight years, a notable development given that North Korea has recently designated the South as its "most hostile state" and ruled out reunification efforts following the 1950-1953 Korean War. The friendly interaction between the triumphant North Korean athletes and the South Korean host nation offered a fleeting moment of softer diplomacy.
South Korea's President Lee Jae Myung publicly congratulated the team on platform X, praising not only the players but also the South Korean cheering squad for their mature cheering culture, and concluded with a hopeful sportsmanlike message: "The ball is round, and we will meet again. We will cheer you on vigorously for your next challenge!
" This historic win by Naegohyang Women's FC thus stands as a landmark achievement in North Korean women's football, which has long been a dominant force in Asia, having previously won three Women's Asian Cup titles in the 2000s
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